Wrench.



WITNESSES R.C.FRIEND.

WRENCH.

APiLIGATION FILED IAN.80,191&

Patented June 24, 1913.

INVENTOR 2 F0: Z'Zwnd.

ATTORNEYQ rennan 0. FRIEND, or CLAIRTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 24, 1913.

Application filed January 30, 1913. Serial No. 745,166.

To all whom it may concern:

Be 1t known that I, RICHARD C. FRIEND,

a citizen of the United States of America,

residing at Clairton, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWrenches, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to wrenches, and the object of my invention is toprovide a simple, durable and inexpensive Wrench consisting ofcomparatively few parts that are easy to assemble and adjust for thepurposes for which the wrench is intended. It is in this connection thatmy wrench has been especially designed as a substitute for ratchetwrenches, cranks and other devices ordinarily used by pitmen and workmenin re leasing the drop doors of cars containing dumpable material. Ithas been the practice and is at the present time, so far as I am aware,to use a ratchet wrench to partially rotate the operating shaft of themechanism that retains drop doors in a closed position. A wrench isapplied to the shank of the operating shaft and the shaft partiallyrotated until the locking dog can be swung out of engagement with theratchet wheel forming part of the shaft. When the dog is released theload is assumed by the pitman holding the ratchet, and very often theload is too great or the wrench slips, with the result that the pitmanis injured in a great many instances and killed in a few instances. Itis therefore apparent that a wrench that can be safely used is adesideraturn to pitmen and with this end in view I have devised thewrench shown in the accompanying drawing, which will be hereinafterspecifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a sideelevation of the wrench with the handle broken away, Fig. 2 is a similarview on a smaller scale showing its position relatively to the doorlocking mechanism of a car, Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion ofthe wrench shown in Fig. 1, illustrating the spring pressed adjustablejaw, Fig. 4: is a longitudinal sectional view of the Wrench taken on theline IV-IV of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of thehandle of the wrench, Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the adjust-able awof the wrench, Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the wrench designed forother purposes than that of the preferred form, and Fig. 8 is anelevation of a portion of a handle or lever illustrating a slightmodification that is applicable to the construction shown in Fig. 3.

Further describing my invention in detail with reference to theaccompanying drawing, wherein like numerals denote corresponding partsthroughout: 1 denotes a handle or lever of the wrench which may be ofany desired length and cross sectional area and the outer end of thehandle has a head 2 provided with a C-shaped slot 3 forming two seats 4:and 5, the former being concentric relatively to the head 2 and thelatter eccentric. The head 2 has the front side thereof provided with anoffset portion terminating in a curved jaw 6 having a flat surface 7.The sides of the jaw 6 are provided with enlargements 8 to increase thebearing surface of the fiat surface 7.

9 denotes an adjustable aw that has the inner end thereof bifurcated, asat 10 and provided with apertured ears 11. The bifurcation of the jaw 9receives the head 2 of the handle 1 and extending through one of theears, the slot 3 and tapped into the other ear is a screw or pivot pin12 that retains the adjustable jaw in engagement with the head 2.

Now, before describing the modified forms of my invention, it is thoughtbest to consider the use of the wrench thus far disclosed and considerFig. 2 of the drawing.

13 denotes the shank of a shaft that controls the drop doors of a carand this shaft has a ratchet wheel 14 engaged by a gravity dog or pawl15 that prevents the shaft from unwinding. I will assume that the shaftand the doors controlled thereby support a load. The wrench has beenapplied to the shank whereby, by swinging the wrench in one direction,the shaft can be moved and the dog or pawl shifted out of engagementwith the ratchet wheel 14:. When accomplishing this operation the jawsof the wrench are firmly held in engagement with the shank of the shaft,but after the dog has been released, a slight reverse movement of thehandle 1 allows the shank of the shaft to throw the pivoted adjustablejaw 9 out of engagement therewith, consequently the wrench is releasedand the shaft can freely unwind.

It is through the medium of the C-shaped slot 3 that the adjustable jawcan be set whereby shanks of various sizes can be gripped. In otherwords the adjustable aw has two positions and either one of thesepositions will permit of the wrench being used in connection with theshanks of operating shafts at present in use.

leferring now to Fig. 3 of the drawing the pivot pin 12 is prolonged andprovided with heads 12 and a spring 15 is coiled about the pivot pinwith the convolutions between the ears 11 of the adjustable jaw 9 andthesides of the head 2. Thc'spring 15 has a looped portion 16 engaging therear side of the adjustable jaw 9 and the ends of the spring are bent toengage the front side of the handle 1. The looped portion 16 isconsequently under tension and retains the adjustable jaw 9 in a closedposition, as

clearly illustrated. The adjustable jaw 9 can be easily snapped upon a.shank.

In 7 of the drawing the handle 1 has a jaw provided with a concave seat17 to accommodate a pipe, whereby the wrench can be used for rotating apipe or object having rounded or cylindrical surfaces.

In Fig. 8, the head 2 is provided with a pronounced C-shaped slot 3 oneend of said slot terminating in a pocket et that prevents the pivot pinfrom becoming accidentally displaced relatively to the end of the slotin which it is placed. In other words, the pin is housed in a mannerthat it cannot slip from one end of the slot to the opposite endthereof. i

It is thought that the operation and utility of the wrench will beapparent without further description and while in the drawing there areillustrated the preferred embodiments of the invention, itis to beunderstood that the structural elements are susceptible of suchvariations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appendedclaims. 7

iv hat I claim is 1. A wrench of the type described comprising a handle,a head carried thereby and provided with a C-shaped slot forming a pairof seats, one of said seats being concentric to the head and the othereccentric with respect to the head, a fixed jaw projecting laterallyfrom said head, an inverted L-shaped adjustable jaw bifurcated to receive the head of said handle, and a pivot pin connecting saidadjustable jaw to said head, said pin extending through the C- shapedslot of said head and capable of engaging in either one of said seats tochange the position of said adjustable jaw with respect to the fixedjaw.

2. A wrench of the type described comprising a handle, a head carriedthereby and provided with a i-shaped slot forming a pair of seats, afixed jaw projecting laterally from said head, an inverted L-shapedadjustable jaw bifurcated to receive the head of said handle, apivot'pin connecting said adjustable jaw to said head, said pinextending through the C-shaped slot of said head and capable of engagingin either one of said'seatsto change the position of the adjustable jawwith respect to the fixed jaw, and means carried by said pivot pin andengaging said handle and said adjustable jaw for holding said adjustablejaw normally closed. i p

3, A wrench of the type described comprising a handle terminating at oneend in a head, said head provided with a C-shaped slot forming a'pair ofseats, one of said seats arrangedconcentric with respect to the head andthe other of said seats eccentric with respect to the head, a fixedprojecting laterally from said head and including a gripping face formedof a curved portion terminating in a flattened portion, an invertedL-shaped adjustable jaw straddling said head, and a pivot pin connectingsaid adjustable jaw tosaid head and capable of being mounted in eitherone of said seats to change the position of the adjustable jaw withrespect to the fixed jaw.

4:. A wrench of thetypedescribed comprising a handle terminating at oneend in a head, said head provided with a C shaped slot forming'a pair ofseats, one of said seats arranged concentric with respect to the headand the other of said seats eccentric; with respect to the head, a fixedjaw projecting laterally fromsaid head and including a gripping faceformed of a curved portion terminating in a flattened portion, an'in-.verted L-shaped adjustable jaw straddling said head, and a pivot pinconnectingsaid adjustable jaw to said head and capable of being mountedin either one of said 'seats'to change the position of the adjustablejaw.

with respect to the fixed jaw, saidfixed jaw having its outer portionreinforced. i

In testimony whereof I'aitix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

RICHARD c; FRIEND.

ilVitjnesses: i I

Max H. SaoLovrrz, v KATHERINE ERRETT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of- Patents,

